La Corderie Royale

The Sun King's Naval Base

This building is 370 meters long - nearly four football fields! It was commissioned by Louis XIV for the naval shipyard he created at Rochefort. Inside, rope used to be made, stretching the building's entire length. Now it's a fascinating museum about ships, rope and knots. Part of a museum complex that includes a naval museum and the shipyard where Lafayette's ship Hermione and its modern-day replica were built.